Stories

By Fr. Anh Nhue

Following Jesus in his mission, according to what Saint Matthew the Evangelist tells us, with today’s Gospel we have arrived at the peculiar episode: Jesus walks on the waters of the rough sea. Besides the miraculous nature of the event itself, the Gospel narrative seems to convey some important messages for the life of Christ’s missionary disciples today. For an in-depth reflection, it is necessary to bear in mind at least three significant details.

1. The Temporal Context and Paschal/Passover Perspective: The Walking on the Sea after the Multiplication of the Bread

First of all, the temporal context of today’s Gospel should be remembered. It is indicated in the Italian Lectionary (as in the others) with the phrase: “After he had fed the people.” What is told immediately after is therefore subsequent to the multiplication of the bread. It should be noted that this succession of events is reported not only in the synoptic gospels (Matthew and Mark), but also in that of John (which follows a different tradition). It is precisely the latter who underlined the Paschal perspective of the multiplication of the bread by clarifying the temporal context of the event: “The Jewish feast of Passover was near” (Jn 6:4). In this way, we are invited to immerse ourselves in the atmosphere of Easter which celebrates the exodus of the People of God from Egypt through great and terrible signs and wonders such as the gift of manna in the desert and obviously the memorable crossing of the Red Sea, later sung by the Psalmist with the inspired words: “The waters saw you, God; the waters saw you and lashed about, even the deeps of the sea trembled (…) Through the sea was your way; your path, through the mighty waters…” (Ps 77:17, 20). It should be added that, according to the biblical-Jewish tradition, only God dominates the sea and walks on its waves (cf. Job 9:8).

In this perspective, the walking of Jesus on the lake of Genesaret (usually also called the sea [of Galilee] due to its large size, as in today’s Gospel [cf. Mt 4:18; 15:29]) must be contemplated just as the actualization of the manifestation of almighty God on the waters of the sea during the Exodus of the Chosen People in the past. So much so that Jesus reassured the frightened disciples with the phrase “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid”, in which the literal affirmation “I am” (ego eimi in the original Greek) seems not only to affirm the identity of the speaker, but also deliberately reproduces the very name of God of the Exodus (cf. Ex 3:14). Even the sequence of Jesus’ actions seems to indicate a divine movement descending from high to low. He first stood apart on the mountain to pray (that is, he stayed with God) and then, from there, he went towards the disciples on the rough sea. All this underlines that now with Jesus, Son of God, and in Him the new journey of Exodus through the sea for the People of God is being realized.

2. “Jesus made the disciples get into a boat….” The significant action of Jesus towards the disciples

The highlighted temporal context of the episode with its global Easter/Passover perspective of Jesus’ mission helps us to understand in depth an apparently strange action of Jesus towards the disciples, at the beginning of the story, after the multiplication of the bread: “Jesus made the disciples get into a boat and precede him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.” The literal Greek verb used to define this act of Jesus is “to force.” With this, we can imagine that his disciples still wanted to remain on the “glorious” place of the multiplication of the bread, when, according to what is reported in the Gospel of John, at the end of the miracle the people wanted to proclaim Jesus as their King (Jn 6:14-15). Jesus’ behavior is therefore very significant in that moment and highly parenthetic for the disciples, called to the same mission as the Master. On the one hand, Jesus seemed to want to teach his disciples to have clear the purpose of his and their mission, which is not to receive earthly glory from human beings, but to simply and faithfully fulfill the divine plan for the salvation of the world. In fact, Jesus himself later withdrew to the mountain alone to pray, that is to say to praise and consult God again, the source and origin of his mission. On the other hand, the disciples had been forced to get back into the boat and go ahead and “precede him to the other side.” Thus, we can glimpse an important spiritual message from a missionary perspective. Specifically, the disciples of Jesus are asked never to rest on single missionary “successes”, but to always go forward, that is, to always continue the mission with courage until the final fulfillment of the salvation of all humanity in the paschal mysteries of the Lord. Not earthly glory, but the divine plan. Never stopping to be pleased with what one has achieved, but always rowing forward in the mission, even with the wind against at times, to further realize God’s project in Christ. And in this journey of the disciples, even if sometimes, as in this case on the Sea of Galilee, the Lord physically leaves them alone to be “on the mountain” with God, He mystically remains close to them in mind and heart, in order to come to their aid promptly in their needs.

3. An interesting “close-up” of Jesus and Peter on the sea and a lesson of faith in the midst of storms

The “close-up” (to use a cinematic expression) of Jesus and Peter fits into this theological-spiritual context. It is an original insertion by the evangelist Matthew who thus wants to leave a lesson on faith in the midst of storms to readers/listeners of all times. Peter could walk on the waves at Jesus’ command, but curiously, “when he saw how strong the wind was, he became frightened” and he began to sink. Until Peter paid attention to the wind around him and continued to keep his gaze fixed only on Jesus, towards whom Peter was directed, nothing happened. Peter began to sink the moment he paid too much attention to the wind around him and no longer looked at his Master. This will be the lesson of faith for every disciple-missionary of Christ in the midst of storms: it is necessary to fix one’s gaze only on Jesus, in order to continue walking with Him on the agitated waves around. Precisely according to this logic is the recommendation of the sacred author of the Letter to the Jews to the first Christians, who were experiencing a moment of crisis:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith. For the sake of the joy that lay before him he endured the cross, despising its shame, and has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God.

Consider how he endured such opposition from sinners, in order that you may not grow weary and lose heart. (Heb 12:1-3)

The end of this “close-up” of the Gospel episode reiterates once again the need to always look at Jesus, especially for those who find their lives in danger. Beginning to sink, Peter shouted “Lord, save me!” and then, as we can imagine the situation, again he looked upon his Master and Saviour. At this, as the evangelist pointed out, “immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter.” Thus, in Jesus’ action is reflected the powerful gesture of God who extends his hand to save the needy who turn to him in desperate situations. And Jesus’ rebuke to Peter in that instant confirms the perspective of faith on which the evangelist actually insists: “[Jesus] said to him: ‘O you of little faith, why did you doubt?’”

Let us pray that these words of Jesus, as well as the whole evangelical account today, may be a constant warning and a lesson for all of us, current disciples of Christ, in our life of faith and in our journey of mission in the contemporary world, where the wind against seems stronger and stronger. Let us keep in mind what Pope Francis affirmed with faith in his Message for World Mission Day 2023:

Today, as then, the Risen Lord remains close to his missionary disciples and walks beside them, particularly when they feel disoriented, discouraged, fearful of the mystery of iniquity that surrounds them and seeks to overwhelm them. So, “let us not allow ourselves to be robbed of hope!” (Evangelii Gaudium, 86). The Lord is greater than all our problems, above all if we encounter them in our mission of proclaiming the Gospel to the world. For in the end, this mission is his and we are nothing more than his humble co-workers, “useless servants” (cf. Lk 17:10).